Great Canadian Entertainment fined $120,000 by AGCO for unauthorized casino software use

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Investigation and Enforcement Bureau at the Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands in Gananoque, Ont. on Friday, July 30, 2021.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has fined Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE) $120,000 after unauthorized gaming software was discovered at four casinos across Ontario.

In a news release Monday, the AGCO said it discovered 40 instances where revoked or unapproved bill validator software had been installed at the casinos Feb. 20 and March 15, 2025.

The AGCO did not specify which casinos were in possession of the unauthorized software.

Bill validators that are part of gaming machines verify the authenticity and value of cash inserted into the machines.

According to AGCO, these validators “must undergo rigorous testing and approval” so regulators can confirm they operate as intended and “perform critical functions reliably.”

The AGCO also said that casino operators are responsible ensuring that changes to gaming systems are “properly, reviewed, tested and authorized” before implementation.

“When unauthorized software is used in a live casino environment, it bypasses critical safeguards that are meant to uphold the integrity of gaming and the public’s confidence in the system,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, chief executive officer and registrar, AGCO, in a statement.

“The AGCO will continue to hold all casino operators accountable for meeting Ontario’s high standards of gaming system integrity.”

A casino operator served with an order of monetary penalty has the right to appeal the registrar’s action within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal.